Latest news with #VanZandt
Edinburgh Reporter
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Fringe 2025 – read three of our ⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews from the first week here
All of our festival and Fringe coverage can be found at this link here – but here are just three of our four star reviews to whet your appetite. If you see something that you would like to recommend then do get in touch! Click here to send us a message. Lily Blumkin:Nice Try! Could we be seeing the birth of a new comic star? That's the conceit behind Lily Blumkin's Edinburgh debut character comedy show in which, as the narrator, she has a heightened sense of her comedic potential but comes to terms with her insecurities as she sets out on the path to being discovered. Blumkin, 28, starts the show in her New Jersey childhood bedroom, which she recalls smelled 'like beef stew' as she never washed the sheets. An unpeopled photo of it, with its ample well-made double bed, is relayed on an overhead screen, suggesting a lack of action. Read more here Del Valle: A true tale of sex, drugs, rock n roll… and redemption A journey of acting and addiction from Texas to Hollywood, to the Chelsea Hotel and back to a Texas prison cell This show is written and performed by Ned Van Zandt. It is a darkly comic memoir that charts Van Zandt's extraordinary life from teenage acting star to the drug-fuelled chaos of 1970s New York, and eventually the harsh realities of incarceration. This isn't typical Fringe fare – it's a masterpiece that pulls no punches and could be expected to be performed at the International Festival. Van Zandt has worked with Jane Fonda in Coming Home as 'a soldier boy'. He nearly became Luke Skywalker – 'but didn't'. Van Zandt name drops his way through his career, and tells us how he arrived in New York to escape from the West Coast. He was in The Marvellous Mrs Maisel.. Read more here PSA: Pelvic Service Announcement Amy Veltman's Edinburgh Fringe debut tackles a subject most people would rather not discuss over dinner, transforming pelvic floor health into an unexpectedly entertaining hour of theatre. PSA: Pelvic Service Announcement proves that even the most uncomfortable topics can become compelling viewing when approached with wit, warmth, and unflinching honesty. This multimedia solo show breaks taboos with infectious enthusiasm, as Veltman guides audiences through what she calls a 'raw and ridiculous extravaganza.' Her arsenal includes memorable characters, catchy songs, and a gloriously unmedical chart that somehow makes anatomical education genuinely funny. The New York performer demonstrates impressive range, seamlessly shifting between comedic personas while maintaining the show's educational core. Read more here © 2025 Martin McAdam Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Reporter
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Fringe 2025 – Del Valle – A True Tale of Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll…and Redemption ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A journey of acting and addiction from Texas to Hollywood, to the Chelsea Hotel and back to a Texas prison cell This show is written and performed by Ned Van Zandt. It is a darkly comic memoir that charts Van Zandt's extraordinary life from teenage acting star to the drug-fuelled chaos of 1970s New York, and eventually the harsh realities of incarceration. This isn't typical Fringe fare – it's a masterpiece that pulls no punches and could be expected to be performed at the International Festival. Van Zandt has worked with Jane Fonda in Coming Home as 'a soldier boy'. He nearly became Luke Skywalker – 'but didn't'. Van Zandt name drops his way through his career, and tells us how he arrived in New York to escape from the West Coast. He was in The Marvellous Mrs Maisel.. Once in the Big Apple he lived on the ninth floor of the Chelsea Hotel. There he became friends and a supplier of drugs to Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen. He visited them on the fateful night that Nancy was stabbed to death. Did Sid kill her? You will find out that Van Zandt knows more. The performance follows Van Zandt's descent through Hollywood addiction to his unlikely imprisonment in Del Valle, a Texas state prison, where he finds himself giving acting lessons (and sexual favours) to the Junior Grand Dragon of the Texas Aryan Brotherhood in exchange for protection. Ned Van Zandt has mastered the delivery of a solo performance, and this show will take your through all the emotions – it's entertaining, it's funny, its sad, its frightening – but most of all it is great entertainment. Venue: 302 Dairy Room at Underbelly, Bristo Square Time: 14.55 Tickets here Like this: Like Related
11-07-2025
- General
How Texas' land rules allowed camps to operate in flood-prone areas
After deadly floods ripped through Texas last week, the state's rules and regulations about housing and construction and summer camps have come under scrutiny by some environmentalists and urban planners. The state leaves building zoning and permits up to the individual counties. And in most non-city counties, such as Kerr, which had 96 deaths as of Thursday due to floods, some officials tend to be lenient towards building owners with restrictions, some state leaders and environmental experts told ABC News. "In general, Texas is a state that highly values personal property rights and because of that, it is a state that is slow to change their policies to flooding," Shannon Van Zandt, a senior fellow with Texas A&M's Hazard Reduction and Recovery center, told ABC News. The state health department, which licenses youth camps, does not directly address the risks associated with flood zones and other extreme weather for summer camps, according to state regulations. Camps that seek approval are inspected for "fire, health, or safety hazard(s)" according to the state application form used by camps. The form also lists that the camps' "buildings comply with applicable codes." Twenty-seven children and staff of Camp Mystic, an all-girls sleepaway camp located on the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, were killed by the floods in the middle of the night on July 4. A number of the cabins were in known flood zones and close proximity to the river, according to officials and FEMA's flood maps. As of Thursday, at least 121 Texans are dead and 166 people are missing, officials said. Van Zandt and other environmental experts said the tragedy that struck the state last week should serve as a rallying call not just for Texas, but for places around the country to reassess their building and safety rules, as the risk of more hazardous storms continues to rise. Many state and local governments are working hard to improve building safety, Sarah Adams, an assistant professor at the University of Oregon's Environmental and Natural Resources Law Center, told ABC News. 'But communities can significantly reduce the harms and costs of flood disasters by focusing on where new homes, schools, and businesses are developed,' she said, 'not just how safe the individual buildings are.' Flood construction is discretionary in Texas Republican Texas Rep. Gary Gates, who chairs the state House's Land & Resource Management Committee, told ABC News that outside of the major cities, there are generally no major zoning rules. Gates said that when it comes to dwellings that are built along the coast and near flood areas, state legislators leave the discretion to "the counties and the free market system." "The federal guidelines and FEMA set flooding zones. They rate flood zones based on different categories. The flood insurance is based on what zone you are in," he said. "Most of the jurisdictions won't allow you to build if you can't provide insurance. That's why local jurisdictions leave it up to the insurance." Gates said there is "very little oversight" in the state for building or establishing any type of campground. "For a river camp that is not in a city it's pretty open on what you can do," he said. "A lot of those are very primitive. They are designed where you can just park your RV there and live in a tent. It's hard to regulate when you can allow tents. How do you regulate some bare bones sleeping accommodations?" The representative noted that in the case with Camp Mystic, which opened in 1926 and expanded throughout the years, many structures were built long before FEMA flood zones and other regulations were created and are likely to have approvals grandfathered in. This included other longstanding campsites that operated along the Guadalupe River which were also hit with floods. Gates said camps and other properties in the flood-prone areas would likely have had protocols in place that prevented damage or injury from flooding since the Guadalupe River has had many dangerous flooding events in the last 40 years, including 1987, when a Guadalupe River flash flood overwhelmed Texas and killed 10 people. Officials at Camp Mystic and Kerr County have not immediately returned ABC News' requests for comment about storm preparation. "We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level," the camp posted on its website. Camp Mystic grandfathered into flood zone Henry DeHart, interim president/CEO of the American Camp Association, which was not affiliated with Camp Mystic, said in a statement to ABC News that each camp in the country is ultimately responsible for its own safety protocols. "Camp directors work year-round to plan for emergencies, review health and safety protocols, and prepare for site-specific risks. These can include issues such as extreme weather conditions, water safety, and ongoing medical needs for campers. Before the summer season, camps train their staff and rehearse these planned responses," he said. Van Zandt said recent FEMA flood maps indicted that the area in Kerr where the camp was located in zones designated as a floodway, which indicates a very serious threat to floods and where construction and development are generally discouraged, or in the FEMA 100-year flood risk warning. "I know Camp Mystic; it has been around for several decades. It will be under an old building code," she said. Texas' Department of State Health Services signed off on the youth camp's emergency plans last week, according to records obtained by ABC News. An inspection report dated July 2 indicates that state inspectors noted the camp had emergency plans "in case of a disaster" in place and that staff and volunteers were briefed on the plans during training sessions and volunteer briefings. Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, told ABC News in a statement that camps are required to develop their own emergency plans, which are then assessed by the state for adherence to the Texas Administrative Code. "The plans should include disaster, serious accident, epidemic, or fatality," Anton said. "Disaster would include flooding, tornado, etc. The inspector checked that they had plans posted for those elements in every building and that they had trained staff and volunteers on what to do." The details of Camp Mystic's emergency plans were not included in the records released by the state. DSHS released the July 2 inspection report along with five years of reports of the youth camp. The inspection report, which showed the youth camp complied with various regulations, concluded "there is no deficiency/violation cited or noted within the scope of this inspection/visit." The youth camp had 557 campers and 108 staffers at the time of the inspection between the Guadalupe and Cypress Lake locations. While the Texas' Department of State Health Services does do a thorough process of checking campsites and other buildings for flood damage using FEMA guidelines, Van Zandt, however, said that those inspections aren't enough given the flooding dangers that these camps are in. "FEMA has a checklist approach to reviewing the plans. As long as they fit those boxes, they're fine," she said. "There is not a real assessment of the quality of the plan." FEMA has not responded to what happened at the camp. Rethinking building regulations, making hard decisions Adams, who spent years researching zoning and building codes in New York City and Long Island following Superstorm Sandy, said the situation in Texas is a national problem that states and localities are struggling to solve. She said flooding map trends have shown that more areas are now experiencing dangerous flash floods more often and at higher levels. While relocating existing properties from flood-prone locations is difficult, and in some places impossible, due to the costs, residents' connections to their homes and neighborhoods, and in some cases the lack of better options, Adams said local governments should find ways to steer new development away from low floodplains. "The thing that will drive the costs of those disasters is the development that is coming right now," she said. Camp Mystic, for example, opened a new section of the camp five years ago that is closer to Cypress Lake, which was also in the FEMA flood zone areas and affected by the flooding. Kerr County approved the expansion. In 2011, in light of the numerous floods and rains that hit the area, Kerr county's leaders approved a flood damage prevention order that updated its flood insurance rate maps and gave updated building guidelines. Buildings constructed after the order required "methods and practices that minimize flood damage," and materials "resistant to flood damage," according to the order. The order also prohibited encroachments in areas of special flood hazard. Gates said the state legislature will be looking at ways to prevent the tragedy from happening again but added that he did not want to "overregulate" because of rare events. He added that while some Texas communities, like Galveston, have local regulations that mandate homes have strict wind load resistance due to the danger of tornadoes and storms, rural areas do not have the resources to fortify. "Here it is different because when you have a flash flood event, there is very little building that can withstand that force of water," he said. Gates said that any regulation changes could take years, but he did say that in the interim, the communities and camps could focus on improving their warning systems. "Our warning systems weren't taken seriously enough, and that needs to change," he said.
New York Post
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Steven Van Zandt will miss several Bruce Springsteen shows after emergency surgery
Steven Van Zandt is on the mend. The musician, 74, will miss several upcoming shows with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band after undergoing emergency surgery. 'Got a sharp pain in my stomach, thought it was food poisoning, turned out to be appendicitis,' Van Zandt wrote via Instagram on Monday. 'Got lucky with an exceptional hospital in San Sebastian. Operation was a complete success and I'm hoping to get back on stage for at least one of the shows in Milan. Thank you all for all the good vibes. See you soon – SVZ.' 6 Bruce Springsteen (L) and Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band. UPI Friends and fans flocked to the comments section to wish the rocker a speedy recovery. One user wrote, 'Yikes! That stuff is no joke – heal up soon my friend!,' while a second chimed in, 'Get well soon, you're worth waiting for. Your health is more important!.' Rounding out the sweet notes, a third follower penned, 'Sending you wishes for a speedy recovery!!' The Post reached out to Van Zandt's rep for comment. The group is set to play again in San Sebastian on Tuesday before heading to Germany for a show on Friday. From there, Springsteen, 75, and the band will have concerts in Milan, Italy, on June 30 and July 3. 6 Steven Van Zandt attends Prime Video's 'Étoile' New York premiere. Getty Images Van Zandt has played in the E Street Band on and off since 1975. Since 1999, he has been a permanent fixture in the group. Springsteen also dealt with some health issues in 2023 after being diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease. The Grammy winner canceled various shows at the time, and revealed last year just what the prognosis meant. 'You sing with your diaphragm. You know, my diaphragm was hurting so badly that when I went to make the effort to sing, it was killing me, so I literally couldn't sing at all, you know?' he shared in March 2024 while on Sirius XM's E Street Radio. 'And that lasted for two, three months, along with just a myriad of other painful problems.' 6 Bruce Springsteen concert. Javier Etxezarreta/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Shortly after, he recovered and went back to touring. Springsteen and the E Street Band reunited in a New Jersey music room in 2023, with Van Zandt telling The Post, 'It took an extra minute because usually we don't rehearse at all.' 'We get together for two or three days just to kind of say 'hello' to each other again.' 6 Little Steven Van Zandt is joined by Bruce Springsteen live in concert during Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul Summer of Sorcery Tour 2019. Getty Images 'We have been away for six or seven years, and people didn't know what to expect from us,' he confessed. 'Everybody's getting a little older, you know. And it was up to us to go out there and say, 'Hey, we're not just getting older — we're getting better, OK? And, yes, we're closer to the end than we are to the beginning, but we're still very productive here.' That performance kicked off their world tour, which is coming to an end this summer. Speaking on their years long friendship, Van Zandt told People in June 2024, 'You just don't have that many friends for 60 years. I think the fact that it survived some ups and downs, it says something about our nature. The nature of the importance of friendship in general, which is what attracted me to being in a band rather than a solo show business person.' 6 Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt of The E Street Band during their 2024 World Tour. Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images The 'Sopranos' alum also reflected on the music he's made with Springsteen and the band over the years. 'We bought the illusion completely. We thought the Beatles were best friends, the Rolling Stones were best friends, The Who, the Kinks. We didn't know they were having fist fights,' he explained. 'We made that illusion real — and I think that's the appeal of the E Street Band to this day, communicating that friendship.' Along with a solid friendship, the band has continued to bring in the sold-out crowds. 6 Steven Van Zandt. Andy Kropa/Invision/AP '50 years later, how are we still playing to 300,000 people in one country in one week?' Van Zandt asked. 'I think we're communicating that friendship, which is real with me and him. When they see us on the same microphone, that isn't an act. Nobody's that good an actor to keep this act up for 50 years.' He added, 'I think that's something that you cannot take for granted.'
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rock legend speaks at local lecture series
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — There was a sold-out crowd in Youngstown Tuesday as people came to listen to a rock-n-roll legend and a star of the TV series The Sopranos. Wearing his trademark bandana, Steven Van Zandt spoke to 1,500 people at Stambaugh Auditorium as part of Youngstown State's Centofanti Symposium. Van Zandt is one of the original members of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band but he began his talk with how he became a political activist. 'And we were taught, of course, that America was doing the right thing worldwide — always. And then reading books, I realized that was not exactly the case. We were occasionally on the wrong side of a few things and that really bothered me,' he said. After Van Zandt was greeted with a standing ovation he remarked that he has to get to Youngstown more often. He also commented on the beauty of Stambaugh Auditorium. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
